Over one third of UCD students maintain part-time work alongside their degree, with many more also engaged in holiday work during the summers, as well as internships, volunteering work and other activities. Part- time work is often the most underrated of all work experiences by students, and yet it can be the most valuable, not only for generating income for yourself - but also in helping you to build up transferable skills. When surveyed, employers consistently rank part-time work during college as one of the most positive things they like to see on an application, regardless of the type of work.
To get started, follow our 3-step guide below for advice on how you can plan, research and apply for part-time work.
STEP 1: PLAN
The first step is to review your availability as this can help you to decide what type of work may fit best. When considering what hours you can work, make sure you are realistic about how much time you can offer that won’t affect your studies. In addition to considering your typical availability during the week, you may also wish to look at the academic calendar, as well as considering any other relevant constraints, such as extracurricular or caregiving commitments. International students should also ensure they understand how many hours a week they are entitled to work.
Once you are clear on when you can work, you can also narrow down the sectors you will prioritize in your search by considering the transferable skills you may gain from different types of part time jobs, and what would be most useful to you. This could range from developing your commercial awareness through retail work, your customer service skills through hospitality, your administrative skills through office based work, or your tech or problem solving skills through IT or customer support. You may also consider whether it is possible to get part-time casual work in the same environment that you hope to develop your longer term career path. This can be a great way to get a foot in the door, as well as a chance to see whether the career is a good fit for you. Once you have narrowed down the type of work you are looking for and your availability, the next step is to find specific roles that may suit.
STEP 2: RESEARCH
To get started, there are a number of websites you can visit, as below:
If you are looking for retail or hospitality roles, you can also consider just going directly to employers who are not currently advertising. For these types of roles, it can be simplest to print a copy of your CV and just walk in with it (when they aren’t busy).
It's also a great idea to use your network to find out about opportunities that may not be advertised, so make sure to let your friends, family and classmates know what you are looking for.
In addition to off campus roles, you may be interested in applying to roles based on the UCD campus. There are a range of jobs available on campus part time, however unfortunately there is no centralised application process. You will need to make a list of options that may suit and apply separately and directly to each. For students looking for work in hospitality, there are over twenty coffee shops and restaurants on campus.
There are also a number of paid campus leadership roles that may offer a small number of regular hours and often advertise via their own social media channels and websites, including: UCD Residential Assistants, Student Library Guides, UCD Global Guides, UCD Career Ambassadors, UCD Student Ambassadors, UCD Science Student Leader, and UCD Access Student Leaders.
Other options to consider may vary by student and school, for example some lecturers or School offices may have Research Assistant roles available for suitable students. Similarly tutor roles within the UCD Writing Centre, the UCD Maths Support Centre or the UCD Computer Science Centre may be a better fit for students with particularly well-developed skills in these areas, such as PHD students.
STEP 3: APPLY
The final step is to edit your CV specifically for part time roles. To get started, you can include a brief profile at the top of your CV outlining the days and hours you are typically available to work (being flexible if you can), as well as noting any relevant skills or experience. It can also be useful to edit your CV to reduce details of less relevant content, as well as increasing details relating to any previous part-time work. You may also wish to expand on relevant and transferable skills gained from your degree, projects, clubs or societies you are part of - such as communication skills, teamwork, organisation skills etc.
For more information on CV’s, check out our CV resources on MyCareer including CV360 to get instant feedback on your CV, and then book a 20 minute appointment with our Career Consultants to have your CV reviewed.